Stephentown Memorial Library

Specialties

The Stephentown Memorial Library is a small rural library serving the diverse population of Stephentown, NY and adjoining communities. With your library card, you have access to free loan of books, magazines, audio books, ebooks, videos/​DVDs, & musical CDs, museum passes, and ²⁴⁄₇ use of wifi on our 11 public computers or your own laptop. We have a public fax and copy machine, ongoing sale of great used books, seed exchange, meeting rooms for local organizations, Foundation Center database for grantseekers, and much more.

History

Established in 1946.

The library had its origin at a meeting of the Stephentown War Council in May, 1946 when Lewis Griffin presented plans for the formation of a library to honor the local men and women who had served in the armed forces in the two world wars. These plans were formalized on Sept. 9, 1946 when a group met to organize the Stephentown Memorial Library. Seven trustees were elected. The names of the 50 men and women who served in W.W.I and the 104 W.W.II veterans to whom the library is dedicated are listed on plaques hanging in the Community Room of the current library.

The present Library building was originally a one-​room schoolhouse serving children in District 4. There was no water or plumbing. After the Stephentown Elementary School opened in 1948, the old School 4 building remained empty until 1960 at which time it was converted into the Town Hall. In 1972 the Taconic Valley Grange Building became the Town Hall and the School 4/​Town Hall building became the Library’s present home.